AFM ISA of the Day: Lisa Wilson of The Solution Entertainment Group

AFM ISA of the Day: Lisa Wilson of The Solution Entertainment Group

Coverage
of ISA’s (International Sales Agents) has resumed for The American Film Market.
This segment follows leaders and innovation in the world of international film
sales and distribution.

Lisa Wilson is an
accomplished and widely respect Hollywood veteran. She is a Partner and
Co-Founder of The Solution Entertainment Group, and
has been in international film distribution for nearly forty years. She has
handled Academy Award Winner “Crash”, “The Tourist”, “Hugo” and “Arbitrage”. She
serves on the board of the Independent Film & Television Alliance and is a
current member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

This is our third AFM. Berlin
was my first market, almost four years ago. I had been in sales for almost four
decades, working for other companies. My partner was a banker, and he was
working in film financing. He had various experiences where he had gone to a
sales company to sell a film, and then the sales person would leave in the
middle of working with him. He was looking to start a company, but he wanted a
partner that was in sales so that couldn’t happen to him again. And so we
joined forces. We have a third partner – Craig Chapman – and we’re based on the
Siren Lot in Hollywood. We’re very branded, and very strategic about what we
bring to the market. We’re not looking to do a massive amount of product. We’re
looking to do high quality product with real talent attached.

The new one now that we’re
selling here is” Oppenheimer Strategy” with Richard Gere and
shoots in January. It’s being directed by Israeli director Joseph Cedar, whose
last two films were both in Cannes and were both nominated for best foreign
film at the Academy Awards. That’s a really good example of what we’re looking
to do.

How did you enter the business?

It was an accident. I had a
temporary secretarial job with John Heyman, who is David Heyman’s father, which
turned into a career in international distribution. I love it. It’s certainly
challenging now, far more than it was in the DVD glory days. I still think if you have the right
product, you can do well, because there’s an awful lot of wrong product.

What inspires you in your work?

For me it’s the material. We
read everything ourselves, and we’re always looking for that ‘something special’.
It has to sing to me. For better or for worse, what you see on the slate is my
taste. I make no excuses for it. It’s nice to be able to do that.

The Solution
Entertainment Group is a multi-faceted, full service international sales and
financing company which offers filmmakers access to development funding,
production funding, production and post-production services as well as international
distribution. The Solution was founded in 2012 by international sales veteran,
Lisa Wilson, and leading film financier, Myles Nestel, who are both partners.

The Solution’s current
slate of titles includes three films which made their market premieres at AFM:
HOW TO MAKE LOVE LIKE AN ENGLISHMAN starring Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and
Jessica Alba, JENNY’S WEDDING starring Katherine Heigl, Tom Wilkinson and Linda
Emond as well as THE FORGER with John Travolta, Christopher Plummer and Tye
Sheridan, which world premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film
Festival.

The Solution’s additional
titles include the recently announced political thriller OPPENHEIMER STRATEGIES
set to star Richard Gere, psychological thriller MAN DOWN starring Shia
LaBeouf, Gary Oldman and Kate Mara, currently shooting as well as BLEED FOR
THIS set to star Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart and executive produced by
Martin Scorsese, which will begin principal photography later in the month.

Other titles include
three films currently in US theatrical release: Lynn Shelton’s LAGGIES with
Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz and Sam Rockwell, which is being
distributed by A24 Films, Roger Donaldson’s NOVEMBER MAN with Pierce Brosnan,
in theatres through Relativity Media and FELONY starring Joel Edgerton via
Gravitas Ventures.

Their films in
post-production include THE TICKET with Dan Stevens and Malin Akerman as well
as TEN THOUSAND SAINTS starring Ethan Hawke, Asa Butterfield and Hailee
Steinfeld, directed by Bob Pulcini and Shani Berman.

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